Portable mail-box.



No. 803,266. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

L. A. BOORY.

PORTABLE MAIL Box.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1905.

2 SEEBTSSHBET 1.

3 vzntoz Qvihwaoea PATENTED 001'. 31, 1905.

L. A. BOORY. PORTABLE MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1905.

2 SHEETS-$11313? 2.

wihmaom fltrom a LUTHER A. BOORY, OF CARNEGIE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

PORTABLE MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed May 1, 1905. Serial No 258,313.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUTHER A. BOORY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carnegie, in the county of Oaddo and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Mail-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to portable mail-boxes especially designed for use by carriers in rural districts, although it is equally as well adapted for use by any mail-carriers employing vehicles.

The object of my invention is to provide a light and attractive casing which can be readily carried by hand and which isprovided with means for holding it in desired position upon a vehicle-body.

Another object is to provide a series of pockets, each of which has a suitable designating ticket or label thereon, and said series being adapted to be rolled or unrolled within the casing, so that the pockets will be brought successively into position where they can be readily reached by the person using the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide pockets formed in series having means whereby any number of these series can be connected and rolled or unrolled within the casing.

A further object is to provide receptacles for postal supplies and for letters to be mailed, all of said receptacles, as well as that portion of the casing containing the pockets, being constructed so as to prevent the contents thereof from being reached by wind or moisture.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of a receptacle of any suitable proportions having a large compart ment therein provided with a door, whereby access may be had to the compartment. This compartment contains rollers arranged one above the other and provided with means whereby the ends of a flexible strip may be detachably connected to them. This strip contains a multiplicity of pockets forthe reception of letters or other mail to he delivered, and these pockets preferably overlap for the purpose of economizing space and each has a designating-label. Means is provided whereby the rollers can be revolved to bring the pockets successively into convenient position adjacent the door.

The invention also consists of holding devices of peculiar form for adjustab y securing the casing in desired position upon the body of a vehicle.

The invention also consists of the further novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawingsI have shown the preferred form of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle-body having my improved mail-box mounted thereon, a portion of one side of the body being broken away and showing the entire box in elevation. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the box detached. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the box, showing the side opposite to that disclosed in Fig. 2, the door of the box being open and the series of pockets removed. Fig. 4: is a vertical transverse section through the box. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section through a portion of one end wall of the box, showing a bearing of one of the rollers. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section through one of the holding-clips of the pockets and the adjoining wall thereof. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a series of pockets adapted to be used in connection with this box, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal section through a portion of said series.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a box, preferably formed of light sheet metal and having its upper portion 2 enlarged to form a compartment 3 for the purpose hereinafter set forth. A partition 4 is arranged horizontally within the lower portion of the compartment 3 and arranged thereunder are a number of drawers 5 and 6, one of which, 6, is preferably provided with a slot 7. All of these drawers are adapted to be/locked in any suitable manner, so that access thereto can be had only-by the proper person.

The front face of the'box is provided with an opening 8, which extends throughout the width thereof, and is adapted to be closed by means of a sliding door 9, formed of flexible waterproof material. This door may be mounted in grooves 10, formed in the end walls of the box. A handle 11 extends across the top of the box, so as to enable the same to be conveniently carried by the user.

Oross-strips-lflare secured upon the rear wall of the box-and serve to reinforce the same,

and engaging these strips are parallel threaded rods, the lower ends of which are forked, as

at 14. It will be understood that by rotating these rods they may be adjusted longitudinally in relation to the box. Hooked brackets are fastened to the upper portion of the rear wall of the box adjacent the sides thereof and extendinginto these brackets are springs 16.

' The brackets and springs may be fastened to the box in any preferred manner, preferably by rivets 17. Connected cross-strips 18 are secured to the end walls of the box and with said walls serve as bearings for the necks 19 of the rollers 20 and 21. These rollers are disposed one above the other and the necks there.- of are tapered outwardly and provided with operating-knobs 22, whereby they may be readily rotated. These necks, revolve in sleeves 23, which are externally screw-threaded'and project from and engage the strips 18 and the end walls of the box 1.

It will be seen that by screwing the sleeves inwardly they will bind upon the necks 19 and retard the rotation thereof, and by reversing the movement of the sleeves the necks 19 can be released so as to rotate freely.

Each of the rollers 20 and 21 is cut away longitudinally to form a flat face 24 and 25, re,- spectively, and extending from the face 24 are eyes 26, while hooks 27 are similarly located on the face 25. Eyes 26 are adapted to detachably engage hooks 28, which are secured to and extend from one end of the strip-29, formed of any suitable flexible fabric, such as canvas, 86C. The other end of the strip 29 has eyes 30 extending from it and adapted to engage the hooks 27. Secured to one face of the strip is a series of overlapping cross-strips 31, which are fastened along their side and bottom edges, so as to produce separate pockets, and the upper or free edges of these strips 31 are folded over and secured upon springstrips 32, which serve to hold the pockets normally extended longitudinally. Each pocket has a label holder 33 thereon for the reception of a label containing the name and ad'- dress'of the person or persons whose. mail is to be placed within the pocket.

In using the device herein described the pockets 31 are first designated successively, so as to indicate the namesv and addresses of the persons to whom mail is successively delivered. The strip 29 is then hung at a suitable point, so that the mail can be assorted and placed within the proper pockets. If there are not enough pockets upon. one strip 29, more strips 29 can be utilized, and after all of the mail has been assorted and placed: within the pockets the strips can be connected in proper order by placing the eyes 30 of one strip into engagement with the books 28 of the next succeeding strip.v The hooks 28 of the upper strip are then placed in engagement with the hooks2l of roller 20 and the same rotated by means of its knob 22, so as to roll foot-rest 36 of the vehicle.

' of the vehicle. route has been reached, the carrier opens the 5, and the box is then carried to a vehicle and the hooks 15 placed upon the dashboard 34 of the vehicle-body 35. Rods 13 are sub' sequently revolved so that the forked ends 14 thereof will engage and be supported by the The box is thus held rigidly in front of the seat of the vehicle with the door 9 thereof in such position as to be conveniently reached by the occupant When the first box on the box 1 and removes any mail which may be contained in the, first pocket 31. When the second box on the route is reached, the carrier rotates the roller 21 so as to bring the second pocket into such position that he can remove the mail from it. This operation is repeated until the end of the route is reached,

when the entire series of pockets will have been wound upon the roller 21 and unwound from roller 20. Any mail to be carried to and into the drawer 6, and the supplies contained within the drawer 5 can be, sold to 1 persons desiring them.

The spring-strips 32 serve to hold the strip 29 flat under normal conditions and prevent the pocketsfrom bulging.

lVhen the strips 29 are rolled up, it is absolutely impossible for the mail in the pockets to fall out of proper position. The box 1 serves to fully protect its contents from the elements and constitutes, in a compact form, a receptacle for a large amount of mail systematically arranged and in position to be quickly delivered.

While the box is preferably designed to be secured to the dashboard of a vehicle, it will of course be understood that it can be fastened at any other desired point upon the vehiclebody, and, if necessary, fastening means other than those described and shown may be employed for securing it in such position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as-new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A portable-mail-box comprising a casing, forked supporting-rods ad j ustably mounted upon one face of the casing, and spring supporting-clips extending from said face.

2. A portable mail-box comprising a casing, cross-strips secured upon the ends of said casing and constituting bearings for rollers adapted to be placed within the casing, forked supporting-rods adjustably connected to one face of the casing, spring supporting-clips extending from said face, and a handle rigidly connected to and extending from the top of the casing.

3. A portable mail-box comprising a casing,

:the. post-office can be dropped in theslot 7 a sliding closure in the front thereof, crossstrips upon the ends of the casing adapted to form bearings for rollers Within the casing, a handle secured to, and extending from, the top of the casing, forked supporting-rods adjustably connected to one Wall of the casing, and spring-clips extending; from said Wall.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

LUTHER A. BOORY. Witnesses:

MICHEL ANDREWS, POSETHIA L. SANDERS. 

